Building Vocabulary

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning
abridge	n	condense/reduce
abstemious	adj	sparing in eating
abstruse	n	difficult to understand
arduous	adj	difficult
attrition	n	gradual wearing away
belie	v	contradict
bolster	v	reinforce
braggart	n	one who talks proud of himself
enervate	v	reduce strength of
fervent	adj	having intense feeling
impetuous	adj	impulsive
indolent	adj	habitually lazy
pique	v	to arouse emotion or provoke action
quiescent	adj	motionless
saturnine	adj	slow to act
smidgen	n	small amount of
somber	adj	depressing
soporific	adj	causing sleepiness
unfettered	adj	liberated
vapid	adj	dull
vestige	n	last trace